Fitbloggin 14 Part 3: The Finale

Bright and early Saturday morning it was time for the session I would be leading with some lovely ladies.It was called Balancing Blogging without losing yourself. It was a a great discussion and for the blow by blow click here. Our entire crew showed up and I am so grateful for that because simply showing up means the world to me. I loved talking about keeping it real on the blog and what is off limits. We all had a lot in common and realized that we are in the same struggle or trying to maintain a blog while balancing everything else. I look like a bit of a thug in this picture but, as Allie said, I am a fashionable thug. (excuse me while I go buy domain rights to fashionablethug.com)

thanks Carrie D. Photography!

Zumba time!

I was over the moon when Sue asked me to Zumba with her and Sam again this year. To top things off it was an 80s themed Zumba! Best. Idea. Ever. I knew which two songs I had to do. I grabbed my doorknocker earrings and my Trio Fitness Shirt and went to werk.

It was crazy fun! Unlike last year when my heartbeat was so loud in my ears that I couldn’t remember my moves, this this year I was 100% more comfortable in my routine! Check out the video of both songs below

BUILT BY CHOCOLATE MILK

Right after that, I had the opportunity to explore Savannah with the amazing folks from BUILT BY CHOCOLATE MILK. Remember when I did a Chocolate Milk workout with Olympians? This time there would be no ski jumping instead the group would go for a quick run around the city.

Since I pretty much left all I had on the dance stage right before, one of the sweet reps had mercy on me and walked the route with me. I loved chatting with her as she is in 10k training too! They supplied us with an amazing spread and of course some nice cool chocolate milk for recovery. I of course brought Sasha along for the walk.

Best session of the conference

I went to a lot of great sessions including Andre’ smartphone video session. However, the media kit session led by Social Media guru Katy Widrick was the best session for me blog business wise. I have a media kit that I made on demand (I got the job!) but I made it in pic monkey and now it’s terribly outdated. Katy gave us great tips on what to include and how to make it stand out from the rest. So excited to make mine!

Hanging Out With Football Players

So that evening we all had the chance to take a selfie with Houston Texans running back Arian Foster. He is involved with Health Warrior that makes the best Chia Bars I have ever tasted. They have such yummy flavors such as coconut and apple cinnamon and I got the chance to speak with one of the brains behind the operation, Shane. He gifted me with the book “Born To Run” and shared some great insight on what chia seeds can do for runners.

Most energy bars are powered by sugar. Health Warrior Chia Bars are powered by chia seeds. Chia is #1 ingredient and chia is one of the most powerful whole foods on earth. They have powered runners for millennia and now you can pick our bars up at thousands of stores across the USA.

Leopolds Ice Cream

We also got some fantastic ice cream from the famed Leopolds Ice Cream Shop…I am beginning to notice a trend with me and ice cream shops…

Finale 5k

I struggled back and forth between not running the finale 5k, I was insanely terrified of the Savannah heat and humidity! I said a little prayer and went anyway. although I really only ran 2.5 miles, I was glad I did because I ran with Shannyn who kept me company in the back of the pack, she also gave me some great run Disney tips for my upcoming race in February! And of course, draped head to toe in my Eleven by Venus gear.

Heads Up: EleVen by Venus has an amazing sale happening now and you can get an extra 10%off by using code TEAM11SCHNELLEA

Final thoughts

Fitbloggin makes me literally feel like I can do anything. It is a crazy good environment where everyone simply wants to help everyone else. The first year I was inspired to teach. The second year taught me that I can fly to the other side of the country because this blog thing… Is real. This year I was more than encouraged to take running seriously and I wasn’t even seeking it out. Sure I decided to run my first 10k weeks prior but I found the fire I needed at the conference.

Fitbloggin will always make me cry lots. Whether it’s pure adoration and pride for my friends, or just tears of laughter and gratefulness–Fitbloggin allows me to be me. Flaws and all. I sat next to and conversed with some of the biggest most knowledgeable bloggers but you wouldn’t know it. They were just like me. I love that.

Fitbloggin made me step back and see how far I have really come in three years. Working with major brands, having companies seek me out instead of visa versa is extremely humbling. When I stepped foot into my first Fitbloggin I had no direction, I blogged about any and everything. Shortly after Baltimore I moved to WordPress and the rest is history.

Extra bonus? I got the sweetest note from a dear friend letting me know that I am part of the reason they come back to the conference every year. Yes, I cried all the tears. (I will not out you but thank you for your kind words and I adore you to pieces).

Thank you guys for hanging out with me on my Fitbloggin adventures! See you in Denver! Right?

LMAO at Kimberly’s comment, because I feel the same love reliving the conference through your recaps. I’m going to checkout the venus collectionCassandre recently posted…Feeling Sentimental – A Lesson in Life

It makes you feel like you can do anything, because you CAN do anything! And I can’t imagine it’s easy for someone like me to do what you did. Amazing. I totally listened and bopped along to the video.
I also really want some Leopold’s!Tamara recently posted…The Little Girl Who Lost Her Name.

I have a tip for your media kit that I think would fit you perfectly. Email me so I can let you know the deets. I love Savannah I am in need of a trip down there soon.Kita recently posted…Larry’s SouthWestern Sauces

First of all, I’m bummed to the max I missed the Zumba! That was one of my highlights from last year and you look AWESOME! I love it!!!!

Second, last year I did the media kit session and it was by far the best session for me! I thought it was so useful. Everything looks like so much fun! I want to go to Denver! I need more leave from my job! Britt recently posted…The Best Prenatal Workout DVDs

You’re making me blush with some of those Zumba moves! This series of posts makes me really want to go to Fitbloggin sometime. Definitely need to look into media kits and the like for BBC…I can’t believe it’s less than 2 months away!Leslie recently posted…{Weigh in Wednesday} Week 81

I just read all three FitBloggin recaps and I felt like I was there with you guys. YouZumba songs were an excellent choice and I know you brought the energy for them. So glad you had a great time exploring the city and at the conference. I’m saving my money for Denver! Patty recently posted…The Boardwalk